THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD (1958)
Article #261 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing date: 12-2-2001
Posting date: 4-17-2002

Sinbad rescues a magician from a cyclops, but the magician loses his magic lantern in the process. The magician then casts a spell on the princess that Sinbad is going to marry in order to force him to help retrieve the lantern from the cyclops.

This was Harryhausen’s first attempt at a color movie, and it is wonderful. He gives his creations all the right touches (both the dragon and the cyclops are particularly good), and Nathan Juran keeps the story moving quickly. The script is a little clunky, and some of the acting is subpar, but these are only minor problems. This was definitely one of Harryhausen’s major triumphs, and gave him a direction for his talents that would prove to be rewarding.